Passion's Crossfire

Chapter 2

Mallory

The moment I stepped through the front door of Kylie's house, I was greeted by a joyful chorus of laughter and the warmth of familiar faces. The room is aglow with vibrant decorations, a kaleidoscope of colors and shimmering streamers hanging from every corner. Balloons, of all shapes and sizes, adorn the ceiling, casting a playful atmosphere over the entire space. It's Kylie's birthday, and the entire house seems to pulsate with the celebration.

Kylie and I have been friends since we were toddlers, a bond that has weathered the storms of childhood, adolescence, and now into our adult years. We had shared secrets, dreams, and countless adventures. From building blanket forts in her living room to navigating the challenges of high school together, our friendship had grown stronger with each passing year. Kylie is not just a friend; she is a part of my life, an extension of my family.

I make my way through the crowd, exchanging greetings and hugs with familiar faces. And then, I spot her across the room. Kylie stands near the fireplace, her eyes scanning the crowd with an expectant smile on her face. As I approach her, her jaw dropps, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Girl, you look HOT! Where did you get that dress? How dare you look better than me on my birthday?" she says as I hug her.

"Oh, stop it. You look gorgeous! Happy birthday, Kylie."

"Thanks, Mal! So... ready for some gossip?" she says with a sly grin on her face.

"Already? I was just 30 minutes late!"

"I know, right?" she pulls me to her side and points with her head at a group of guys. "Logan brought his hot cousin to the party. Mallory, he is out of this world! He already rejected Rachel. She threw herself at him, you should have seen it! He was very polite to her, a true gentleman, but I bet that rejection stung as hell! He is so perfect; it makes me want to cry"

"Well, that was painful to hear" Kylie's boyfriend, Sean, shows up to her side scrunching his nose.

"Come on, baby, don't be like that. You know you are the only one for me" Kylie coos. He hugs her and grins as she looks at him beaming. They are such a perfect couple, my heart aches for a second but I shove the feeling down. I am here to celebrate my friend, not sulk over a guy. 

As if Kylie hears my thoughts, she grabs my hand and drags me to the dancefloor. "I want to dance! Come with me!" she says, as I follow her. I would never turn down an invitation to dance, especially on her birthday. We dance together and I get lost in the music. Dancing has always been my outlet. We dance as if it's just the two of us and for a fleeting moment I feel like we are ten years old again, dancing at her grandma's house, those hot summer days she was watching us, while our parents were at work. 

I have completely let go and I am having the time of my life but just as we twirled in unison, the tempo of the music changed, transitioning into a slow, melodic tune. In the dimly lit room, Sean approaches Kylie and extends his hand, inviting her to dance with him. Feeling like an outsider in a world of their own, I turn to leave the dance floor, ready to join some of our friends who found their way to the refreshments table. However, just as I took a step away, a strong but gentle grip encircled my hand.

"Dance with me?" he asks and my heart skips a beat as I look to the man in front of me. His chiseled jawline, complete with a hint of a rugged stubble, framed a face that exuded strength and allure. His deep-set, piercing dark blue eyes held a magnetic quality that drew me in. His dark, wavy hair fell effortlessly over his forehead, adding to his air of casual elegance. Standing tall and broad-shouldered, he held my hand to his lips and he places a light kiss on it.

I nod, unable to say a word my heart racing as my handsome stranger leads me back to the dancefloor. He places my hand on his shoulder, he puts his hands on my waist and pulls me closer to him. I breathe his masculine scent as we slowly sway to the song playing and as hard as I try to collect my thoughts, they get increasingly scattered as he looks me deep in my eyes. 

"Who are you?" I blurt unable to resist the curiosity and he chuckles. I blush realizing how rude I was and my knees weaken as he smiles at me.

"I guess I should have introduced myself first, ask for a dance second, right?" he replied with a playful glint in his eyes. "My name is Adam; Logan is my cousin"

My eyes widen as the realization sets in. This is Adam, the hot cousin Kylie mentioned earlier—the one who rejected Rachel's advances. I turn my head and see Rachel staring at us, her expression a mix of anger and frustration. Adam's hand suddenly rests on my chin, gently turning my head to face him.

"You didn't tell me your name, beautiful" he says looking deep in my eyes again, his warm breath caressing my face.

"My name is Mallory" I say, my voice barely above a whisper, as the song ends. I drop my hands from his shoulders to his arms, as Adam is still holding my waist. I feel the hard muscles of his arms under my skin and a shiver runs down my spine as his intense gaze briefly drops to my lips before returning to my eyes.

He smiles, a mischievous twinkle in his dark blue eyes. "Mallory, that's a lovely name," he murmurs. The world seemed to disappear around us as we stood there, close but not quite touching.

Adam leans in closer, his lips grazing my ear as he asked, "Can I get you something to drink, Mallory?" His warm breath sends a delightful shiver down my spine. I nod and reply, "A vodka soda, please." He takes my hand and places a delicate kiss on it, making my heart race even faster.

As Adam left to fetch our drinks, I turned to Kylie, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat and giving me a thumbs-up, clearly approving of the situation. I chuckle at my friend; she is so subtle. Kylie's smile disappears, replaced by wide-eyed astonishment. Confused, I turn to see what caught her attention. My heart sinks as I lock eyes with a familiar face, one I haven't seen in a long time.

Matt.